


Wildfire

by michaeyusone



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michaeyusone/pseuds/michaeyusone
Summary: Tzuyu is a hardworking vet with a crush on the beautiful girl with a sick dog
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Im Nayeon, Kim Dahyun/Myoui Mina, Park Jisoo | Jihyo/Yoo Jeongyeon
Kudos: 105





	Wildfire

Nayeon looked around her half-empty apartment and couldn’t take her eyes off the large painting in the hallway wall. The two things her ex-boyfriend forgot to take when he left were the dog and the annoying painting of a bear fighting a battered and bruised cowboy. “Kookeu, come get your daily treat.”

The dog that she used to detest had grown on her over the past 2 years. He was a nice fluffball to cuddle into as they watched movies together. When her boyfriend said he wanted to move out, Nayeon and Kookeu had just walked through the door from their midnight stroll. She had smiled and stated she had always hated the apartment they were in. Her boyfriend rephrased his words as he threw a tennis ball back and forth between his hands, “I want to break up with you and then move out.”

Kookeu kept his eyes on the tennis ball waiting for it to be thrown as Nayeon wrapped up the leash and put it away. “Where did this come from?” The boyfriend dropped the ball on the ground two feet away from him and Kookeu ran to retrieve it. The man she had lived with for over 2 years cracked his neck and shrugged, “I thought about it, and I don’t love you anymore.” Nayeon looked around the room in shock as Kookeu ran up to her and lightly placed the damp yellow ball in front of her toes. “We can’t have a conversation about it together? You just decided on your own?” He nodded and grabbed a backpack from the ground, “I’m staying with my mom tonight and I guess for the rest of the nights until I find my own place. I’ll help you with the rent until the lease is up. Take care of Kookeu for me; I think you need him more than I do, yeah?”

Nayeon nodded without fully hearing his words as he walked out the door. She put down the apartment keys she still held in her hand and poured herself a large white wine.

Kookeu barked at his companion as she pulled herself out of the memory from two months ago. She had been twirling his medicine into his pill pocket treat, and he had started to grow irritated. She cleared her throat and threw the treat on the ground for him to enjoy. “Are we going to the dog park today, Kookeu?” The dog tilted his head so one ear was pointing in the direction of Nayeon’s voice. Nayeon nodded and moved to grab the leash anyway.

She walked out of the apartment and was locking the door when her friendly neighbor spoke from behind her, “Nayeon, how are you doing these days?” Nayeon quickly locked her door and turned to Momo. Nayeon gave a small smile and a sigh, “I think I’m honestly doing better.” _That was a lie_. Momo nodded before heading into her own flat, “No more crying at 4 am? If you ever need to come over again, my door is always open for you.” Nayeon nodded, “Will keep that in mind for next time,” and she walked beside her dog to the elevator. They went down the 15 floors and the elevator finally dinged.

They walked through the streets for less than 10 minutes before they arrived at the white fence with the ‘Dog Park’ sign plastered neatly over it. Nayeon knelt down once they were both inside the fenced area and released Kookeu from his leash. He immediately ran to greet the other puppies and dogs in the park as Nayeon pulled out her phone and got on social media. She clenched her jaw as her fingers went to type in her ex’s name and his profile popped up.

He had posted about his new girlfriend almost instantly after their breakup. Maybe he waited a good 3 or 4 days. She knew what that meant, but she found every way possible to deny he ever cheated on her.

In the new picture, the happy couple had adopted a cat together. Just like Nayeon and he had done with Kookeu. The caption read: _Only putting up with this cat named Duck because my love is allergic to dogs._ Nayeon sighed and for the millionth time her hand hovered over the block button, but she couldn’t pull herself to do it. Her phone lit up with a new notification from her friend as she read it.

_Nayeon Unnie, what are you doing?_

Nayeon: _At the park with Kookeu_

Chaeyoung: _And you didn’t invite me? I have dogs too, you know?_

Nayeon: _If I’ve seen them less than 5 times, do they really exist?_

Chaeyoung: _YES, my dogs exist!_

Nayeon continued the conversation with her younger friend and peeked from her phone to see how her dog was doing. Her dog was having a coughing fit in the middle of the field as dogs chased each other in the background. She jogged over to him and scooped him up.

His trachea had started to collapse months ago, so he had to be given medicine twice a day to keep his coughing fits down. They hadn’t been too bad in recent times, but his coughing didn’t seem to want to stop. She hurried and called her vet office which scheduled an emergency appointment for that afternoon.

She quickly poured her dog some water which reduced the coughing fit a small amount and she carried him out of the park and back to her apartment.

Once they were both indoors, she turned on the tv and sat on the couch. Her hand gently petted her dog and he slowly closed his eyes after a short while. She sighed and hoped the vet would tell her good news in the afternoon, but she had seen signs of him getting worse overtime.

They both took a nap for over an hour and eventually Kookeu hopped off his owner’s lap to get water from his bowl. Nayeon in turn stretched and watched him before checking the time. They had time before the appointment, but Nayeon decided to get to the vet early.

She took her time to get to the office and even stopped at a store to get some gummy snacks. She ate as she walked on her way and picked up her dog when they made it to the vet office front doors. She happily signed in and smiled at the veterinarian tech who sat at the front desk most of the time. “How are you today, Mina?” The tech looked up from her paperwork and gave a smile in return, “Pretty well. Thank you for asking, Nayeon.”

Tzuyu had noticed the pretty girl with the fluffy dog months ago when she first came in about her dog’s coughs. She had quickly learned the name of the dog’s owner and tried her best to speak more than five words in a row to her. The drawback, though, was anytime she wanted to flirt, she became mean instead.

Nayeon went to find a seat and continued to chew on the snacks she had bought. “You can’t eat in here.” Nayeon looked up and met eyes with the veterinarian as she kept chewing. She lightly swallowed and moved to put the gummies away in her bag. “No, throw them away.” Nayeon met eyes with the vet and then the friendly vet tech to make sure they weren’t joking. Mina looked back down at her paperwork and ignored what was happening in front of her.

Nayeon gave a friendly smile, “I’m not going to throw them in the trash.”

The vet nodded and turned to Mina, “Can you please reschedule their appointment?” Mina slowly nodded as Nayeon stood, ready to yell. “You won’t treat my dog because I was eating?! Don’t punish my dog for something wrong that I did.”

The vet sighed and agreed, “Just don’t eat in here again.” Nayeon understood and went back to waiting for her dog to be called to the back.

_She yells at me every time I come here. What did I do to make her hate me so much,_ Nayeon wondered.

Both the vet tech and the vet headed to the back as Nayeon got on her phone to pass the time.

Mina leaned against one of the countertops and smiled brightly, “You like her.” Tzuyu ignored her friend and coworker as she briefly read over the dog’s paperwork. Mina was starting to get more excited as her friend didn’t deny it, “Tell me I’m wrong.” Tzuyu rolled her eyes, “You’re wrong. Her dog just always tries to bite me, so I bring my anger out on her.”

Mina lightly mumbled, “Animals try to bite you every day and some have done a lot worse, but she’s the only client I’ve seen you get snappy with.” Tzuyu rolled her eyes some more, “I’m about to get snappy with you. Go feed the bunnies or something.” Mina smiled and listened to her boss.

Tzuyu examined Kookeu and noted how the condition was getting worse. “You poor thing, that probably hurts a lot, huh?” Kookeu looked in her eyes sweetly before licking the vet’s hand in response. She lightly petted him with a bright smile, “You would never bite me, would you? But let’s keep that a secret from Mina, shall we? Your mom is really beautiful, though, isn’t she?” He barked happily as she gave him a treat.

The vet finished her report and walked Kookeu back to his owner in the front of the office, “He’s going to need some more medicine I’m afraid, and if his condition keeps declining, he might even need surgery.” Nayeon nodded as she grabbed her dog from the vet’s gentle hold. Their arms lightly grazed each other which made Tzuyu clear her throat and take a step back. _It would be much easier to get over this crush if her dog didn’t need a new checkup every other week,_ she thought.

“No more eating in my office, okay?” Tzuyu said. Nayeon nodded happily and quickly as she waited for Tzuyu to sign the new prescription for her dog. Nayeon asked about the medicine and Tzuyu told her it would reduce his airway inflammation and would need to be taken 3 times a day. “3 times? He already has two other medicines he’s taking twice a day.” Tzuyu was about to turn to leave, “Do you want your dog to get better or not?” Nayeon contemplated, “I do. I definitely do, but…” Tzuyu had already walked to the back to work on other things. Nayeon made sure her dog’s leash was secure, put him on the ground, and sighed before leaving the building.

Nayeon walked to her pharmacy to pick up her dog’s medicine and tried to work out how she could balance giving her dog three pills in one day while also maintaining her job and eating lunch.

Tzuyu smiled at Mina as they passed each other in the hallway and Mina winked, “Are you thinking about a week from now when you get to see her again?” Tzuyu shook her head with a great smile, “That’s kind of morbid, Mina. That would mean her dog is still sick.” Mina shrugged, “Well, if you asked her out like a normal person, then I wouldn’t have to say that.”

“I’m not dating a client.” Tzuyu sighed. Mina smiled even harder, “So you admit you like her? Why do you always get so angry with people you like?” Tzuyu started walking away, but with a smile and said in a jingle, “I’m gonna get angry with you.” Mina quietly shouted down the hall, “You already have. Second-year at university, which is how I know when you have a crush.”

_Why do I let her work here? But she isn’t wrong…_

The next day, Nayeon followed all the right rules for her dog. She woke up extra early to prepare all of her dog’s medicines and they still had time to go on their long morning walk. She gave him the 3 morning pills that he had to take and went to work hoping that she could get a longer break than usual. She rushed back after her shift at work was over, so he could take his new pill, and at night she repeated the morning routine of 3 pills. After she felt like she had been running around all day, she finally closed her eyes with Kookeu cuddled next to her.

The morning seemed bright with the sun peeking through the blinds until she looked at her puffy-faced dog. She sighed knowing his medication wasn’t working and he was most likely having an allergic reaction. Nayeon sat up in her bed and made the call to the vet’s office, _I should just add this to speed dial_ , she thought.

“Hi Mina, it’s Nayeon again, my dog seems to be having an allergic reaction this morning. Is there any way I can schedule another emergency appointment?” The person on the line answered back easily, “This isn’t Mina.” Nayeon sat up more in bed and cleared her throat, “Oh, I’m sorry. Mina is always the one who answers. Who am I speaking to?” A cheery smile was met on the other line before she answered, “It’s Tzuyu, the main veterinarian. Mina is out of the office for the day. Kookeu’s having an allergic reaction you said?” Nayeon nodded even though Tzuyu couldn’t see, “Uh yeah, his face is so swollen I think he’s having a hard time opening his eyes. Maybe the new medication?” Tzuyu wrote down some notes and checked her schedule, “Come by in an hour and I’ll take a look at him.” They both agreed on the time and Tzuyu instructed her in ways to keep Kookeu safe and healthy.

Nayeon arrived in the office for the second time that week and noticed a new person sitting where Mina normally sat. She shrugged, signed in, and waited in her normal seat. A girl sitting beside her was eating a granola bar happily and Nayeon decided to warn her, “I don’t think we’re allowed to eat in here.” The pale girl looked up in Tzuyu’s direction as she came through the doors, “Tzuyu, we can’t eat in here anymore? When did you make that a rule?” Nayeon looked between them both and nosily watched the interaction that was before her.

“Why are you here, Dahyun?” The girl took another bite from her bar and stood. “Because I missed you, Tzu. But I mostly missed Mina… and she’s not working today, is she?

Tzuyu shook her head, “Don’t you two send each other your calendars each week like the gross lovey-dovey couple you are?” Dahyun gave a big smile and mocked what Tzuyu was saying, “You’re just jealous that you don’t have a girlfriend right now, and I seriously did want to see you. I see Mina like every other day and I’m texting her right now but you, my friend, I haven’t seen in like a month.” 

Tzuyu called on Kookeu before continuing her conversation with Dahyun, “You saw me last week…” Dahyun leaned against the counter and nodded, “Maybe, but I’m clingy and I miss you.”

Nayeon brought her puppy in her arms to where Tzuyu and Dahyun were standing. “So, we can eat here now?” They both stopped their conversation to look in Nayeon’s direction. “No.” was all Tzuyu said before taking the dog and walking to the back.

Dahyun looked at Nayeon carefully and slowly nodded and said under her breath, “I see. Well, Tzuyu’s always had good taste in women, not going to lie.” Nayeon went to go sit back down but Dahyun stopped her. “What was your dog’s name again?” Nayeon looked at her and smiled, “It’s Kookeu.” They walked together back to their seats, “Oh, that is so cute. Why did you name him that?”

Dahyun and Nayeon talked the entire time that Tzuyu was hard at work trying to get the poor puppy’s swelling to go down. “Poor bud, I’m sorry okay? I didn’t know that medicine would make you sick. I was just trying to help.” The dog still had swollen eyes as he laid on the vet table. Tzuyu gave him a small injection and monitored the swelling as it started to go down.

Tzuyu went to go talk to Nayeon and discuss that she wanted to keep Kookeu in the office overnight to monitor his condition more. Nayeon talked about several things with the vet such as payment and new ideas of the medicines he should be taking before leaving.

Dahyun drummed her fingers on the counter once Nayeon had left and smiled at Tzuyu, “So you like her, huh?” Tzuyu started to look for her pen in her lab coat and began filling out more paperwork. “What is up with you and your girlfriend thinking I like her?” Dahyun pointed to her temple with her index finger, “It’s just a strong feeling. And Mina knew it too? Ugh, we’re made for each other.”

Tzuyu gave a small laugh and handed the paperwork to the woman sitting at the front desk, “Yes, you both are. Now, don’t you have work or errands to run or anything?” Dahyun stretched and agreed, “Sure, since I’ve had my fun bothering you, I’ll go visit my girlfriend. Come over this weekend and we’ll watch a movie or something.” Tzuyu nodded with a smile as Dahyun grabbed her things and left the office.

-

Dahyun put her pale icy feet under Mina’s legs as they sat on the couch and Mina recoiled at the sensation. “Your feet are so cold.” Dahyun dug her feet deeper to get more comfortable, “Heat them up for me then.” They were watching a comedy movie on the tv, but Dahyun wasn’t paying much attention. “Our baby is falling for a straight girl. What the hell we gone do now?” Mina looked at her girlfriend and then back at the tv, “Our baby?”

“Yes, Tzuyu falling for that Nayeon girl from your office.” Mina nodded and then shrugged, “You know Tzuyu always has to do this. She gets angry at the crush, then it takes her like a month to admit she likes them, and then 3 months later and she’ll finally have the courage to ask them out to coffee.”

“And that’s if she sees them every day…” Dahyun grumbled. “I want to be her friend though,” Mina replied, “Nayeon is really nice and always asks how I’m doing.” Mina grabbed Dahyun’s still cold feet from under her and started giving them a massage absentmindedly.

Dahyun replied, “She can be our friend-in-law! Well, if she wasn’t straight and Tzuyu was friendly to her… How do we get them to talk to each other?” Mina happily sighed and turned off the tv, “I don’t know, but enough about Tzuyu’s love life. Let’s talk about ours.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Dahyun asked. Mina left a kiss on Dahyun’s lips and deepened it. “Oh, I see what you mean.”

-

Nayeon called her friends that evening and asked if they all wanted to hang out since she was going to be lonely without Kookeu for the night. She hoped he was comfortable in the clinic overnight, but she trusted her vet. Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, and Jihyo all showed up to take care of their older friend as they had done countless times before.

“Wine?” Nayeon asked when they had all walked through the door. They all happily agreed and Chaeyoung started a movie on the living room tv.

“I thought we all agreed that Chaeyoung wasn’t allowed to pick movies anymore,” Jeongyeon stated as she cuddled her girlfriend, Jihyo, under a blanket. The movie that was playing was a documentary on how women are exploited in the age of the internet. “But it’s informative,” Chaeyoung said as she pouted.

Jihyo grabbed the remote and picked something a little more lighthearted to watch.

-

Nayeon went to the vet the next day and the entire office seemed abandoned. She waited at the front desk for minutes before anyone came to greet her. Tzuyu walked out with an energetic Kookeu in her arms and a smile on her face. “All the swelling has gone down and Kookeu is just as happy as ever, it seems.” Nayeon smiled before scrunching her eyebrows, “Is no one at work today?” Tzuyu shook her head as she handed over the dog to its owner and felt her heart echo when her hand grazed Nayeon’s arm again. “It’s Saturday. We’re normally closed, but since Kookeu is doing better and all…” Nayeon thanked Tzuyu greatly and they both wore huge smiles on their faces.

“Kookeu probably needs a walk to get his energy out, but nothing too strenuous, okay?” Nayeon agreed as her dog excitedly shifted in her arms. Nayeon cleared her throat, “Wait before you go, is there any way that I can thank you? I mean you came to work on a Saturday for Kookeu and all.”

Tzuyu thought for a second, _I can always try to ask her out, right? What am I so scared for? The worst she can do is say no to me,_ “Maybe repay me with some coffee?” Nayeon smiled and showed her bunny teeth, “Coffee, of course, we can do coffee!” Tzuyu gulped hard and breathed out, “Like as a date, though?” Nayeon nodded sincerely, “Like a friendship date? Of course.” Tzuyu squinted her eyes and grimaced a little, “Well…”

Nayeon opened her eyes wide, _Oh._ She hurried out of the office with her dog without saying another word and Tzuyu grimaced even more. _Or the worst she can do is run away, great_ , Tzuyu thought.

Nayeon immediately grabbed her phone to text her group chat:

_Emergency meeting. My house tonight._

Chaeyoung was the first to respond:

_We were just there yesterday though_

Nayeon: _I said EMERGENCY MEETING_

“What are we doing here again?” Jihyo asked as she stole chips from Nayeon’s pantry. “Everyone on the couches now. This is serious!” All three of the guests meandered over to Nayeon’s couches and plopped themselves down before Nayeon said anything.

“Okay, so I got hit on today.” They all looked at each other confused and then back at Nayeon. Jeongyeon cleared her throat, “Yes, you’ve very pretty Nayeon. I would think you got hit on all the time.” Nayeon shooed away Jeongyeon’s comment, “By a woman.” Jihyo and Chaeyoung nodded wanting her to continue. “I get hit on all the time by women. What’s the problem?” Chaeyoung asked. Nayeon responded carefully to this, “Yeah, but Chaeyoung you’re…”

“I’m what?” Chaeyoung asked. Jihyo sighed and passed her the chips, “You give off a lot of gay energy, Chaeng.” Everyone in the room nodded even Chaeyoung had to agree.

Jeongyeon went back to the previous conversation topic, “What did you say?” Nayeon clenched her teeth and shifted on her feet, “I might have run away.” Jihyo laughed and put her hand on her forehead, “Who is this girl that you’re running away from?” Nayeon looked at her nails and sighed, “It might have been my vet.” Jihyo laughed even harder, “It just keeps getting better. Your vet that fixes Kookeu like every week asked you out?”

Nayeon gave one small head nod and tried to figure out her thoughts, “If I said yes, she’s my vet and I want her to take care of Kookeu first. And if I said no, then she’s still my vet.” Jeongyeon made Nayeon stop talking before she started rambling, “Wait, what do you mean if you said yes?” Nayeon nervously laughed, “Well I… umm, well…”

Jihyo stood up with a bright smile, “WAIT A MINUTE. Do you have a crush on a girl?” Nayeon was still not answering the questions, “Well… I don’t… maybe… I mean.” Jeongyeon and Jihyo gleefully smiled at their friend possibly having her gay awakening. “Gay film night!” Jihyo screamed as she moved to grab the remote.

After watching two lesbian films, Jihyo raised her eyebrows, “So, do you like women yet?” Nayeon smiled and shrugged, “After two movies, I’m definitely still not sure.” Jeongyeon nodded, “Makes sense. But maybe go on one date with your vet and see how it goes. Obviously, tell her beforehand about the whole “straight” predicament you’re in.” Nayeon said she would think about it and said goodbye to her friends for the night.

That night she googled everything from how to know you have a crush on a girl to how do you know you’re gay, but most of the answers just said, _if you’re googling “Am I gay”, you’re probably gay._ Nayeon closed her laptop with a sigh, “Well that wasn’t helpful at all. Maybe I’ll take Jeongyeon’s advice.” She did her nightly check on her ex’s social media that she hated before falling asleep. The whole Sunday was full of Nayeon outweighing the pros and cons and trying to imagine what Tzuyu would say, but she still had barely made up her mind. She finally decided that she would agree to the date if Tzuyu still wanted to.

-

“This is why I hate getting crushes, and especially why I wait 3 months before asking a girl out.” Tzuyu was laying on Dahyun’s couch and moping the entire time. They were supposed to be watching a movie, but Mina and Dahyun were watching her whine about Nayeon instead. Dahyun tried to cheer her friend up but it wasn’t working, “Maybe it’s not as bad as you think.”

Tzuyu sunk deeper into the couch, “And when her dog needs more medicine next week or the next week, then what am I going to do? I can’t avoid her.” The couple watched as their friend sulked the whole night about her crush.

That Monday, Tzuyu headed into work tired and disheartened. At least her day was filled with animals to brighten her mood.

Nayeon woke up earlier than usual and Kookeu was still resting on his side of the bed. She picked up the phone and dialed the most used number in her phonebook. After a lot of panicking and fidgeting she breathed out some air and was ready to speak to Tzuyu. “Hi, this is Nayeon. I was wondering if Tzuyu was in the office today.” The person on the other end replied, but not too happily, “Yeah, this is Mina. Tzuyu’s working today, but I think she’s too busy to talk on the phone. Nayeon quickly replied anyway, “It isn’t your job, but could you ask her if she still wanted to get coffee with me? Like, as a date.”

Mina laid down the phone and rushed to one of the rooms in the back that Tzuyu was working in. “Do you still want to get coffee with Nayeon?” Mina said almost out of breath. Tzuyu looked up from a checkup on a chihuahua and gave Mina a confused look. She shrugged and went back to checking the dog, “I mean, what does it matter? It’s not like she wants to.” Mina shook her head and called for another vet to look after the dog, “Except she does want to. She’s on the phone right now.” Tzuyu stopped what she was doing as the other vet walked through the door and took the chihuahua off of her hands.

Tzuyu and Mina made their way to the front desk as Tzuyu’s hands shook before picking up the phone, “Hello, this is Tzuyu…”

Nayeon had been making herself an extravagant breakfast to pass the time while she was on hold. She burned her hand a little when she heard Tzuyu’s voice and cursed under her breath. “Yeah, hey Tzuyu. Umm… the coffee you wanted to get with me… do you still want to… or?” Mina happily watched as Tzuyu started to panic and slightly blush, “You know I meant as like a date, right?” Nayeon was almost done with breakfast and was running her hand under cool water, “…yeah. I mean… I think I want to go on a date with you… I mean… I know I do… but it’s just complicated kind of…” Tzuyu smiled and blushed at the same time, “Yeah, it’s just a first date. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Let me just give you my real number instead of my work phone and we can work out all the details later.”

Mina gave a thumbs-up as she heard that and texted her girlfriend the good news. Tzuyu was about to hang up, but Nayeon stopped her, “While you’re on the phone, what’s the best way to treat a burn?” Tzuyu’s caring personality quickly switched on, “What kind of burn? How bad is it?” Nayeon shook her head, “It’s not bad. I just wanted to know from an expert what to do.” Tzuyu explained everything she knew about burns in as little time as she could, and they finally hung up the phone when she was done. Mina and Tzuyu had a mini celebration before they both got back to work.

Nayeon happily ate her breakfast and took Kookeu on his morning walk before heading into work. _But what if I don’t like girls. Is this all for nothing? No, Nayeon stop overthinking. It’s just one date._

She called Tzuyu in the evening after she left work and she assumed Tzuyu had left work too. “What are you up to?” Tzuyu was eating bread for dinner and she told Nayeon exactly that. The girl on the line laughed incredibly and told her she should eat something healthier than that. They easily scheduled their coffee date and they continued talking for the rest of the night.

Mina and Dahyun talked to Tzuyu about the situation carefully, but they knew they didn’t have to worry too much. “Try not to fall too hard, Tzu. Just in case. I don’t want you to get heartbroken,” Mina told her. Tzuyu understood, but it was hard for her heart not to fall. Dahyun stressed that they would most likely be progressing slowly since it seemed like Nayeon had only dated men, and Tzuyu understood that too. She had vowed to listen to Nayeon if she wanted this work. Nayeon and Tzuyu talked every night on the phone leading up to their date and Nayeon laughed at almost anything Tzuyu said.

Days passed with Nayeon doing as much research she could do on girls loving girls from googling dumb questions to watching more lesbian movies. She started to ask a lot of questions for Jeongyeon and Jihyo that she had never thought of before. After a lot of anxiety, the morning of the coffee date had finally arrived.

“Kookeu, come get your treat.” Kookeu came running from the bedroom as Nayeon bent down to give him his medicine. “You like Tzuyu, don’t you? She always takes care of you and makes you better.” The dog nuzzled against his owner asking for pets after he was done eating, “Yeah, I think I might like her, too.”

They both met at a common and famous coffeeshop in their city and Nayeon gave Tzuyu a quick hug that startled her heart. _It’s just a hug. Heart please calm down right now,_ Tzuyu begged herself.

Once they made it inside and ordered their drinks, Nayeon tried paying for them both but Tzuyu knocked her hand away, “Beautiful people shouldn’t have to pay on a first date.” Nayeon smiled and answered back, “Then we both can’t pay.” Nayeon told the cashier that they were both too beautiful to pay to the cashier’s confusion, but Tzuyu paid anyway as she blushed and got shy in front of her date. Their coffees were made and Tzuyu looked down at Nayeon with admiration, “Where did you want to sit?” Nayeon comfortably chose their seats across from each other and their conversation flowed swiftly back and forth the whole time.

As they finished their drinks, Tzuyu had a small foam mustache on her lip and Nayeon handed her a napkin, “You have a little foam.” Tzuyu wiped it away embarrassed, but Nayeon laughed and joked that it was cute. This caused Tzuyu to blush harder and hide her smile behind her coffee cup. Tzuyu asked if Nayeon wanted to take a walk at a nearby park and to her relief, Nayeon said yes.

As they walked down the street, Tzuyu delicately grabbed Nayeon’s hand, “Is this… okay?” Nayeon pushed her as lightly as she could as she laughed, but held tighter onto her date’s hand, “Of course it’s okay.” They continued walking for a while until Tzuyu stopped in front of a giftshop that had plushies on display in the store window. Tzuyu grabbed the plushie and showed it to Nayeon. It looked just like her dog with long fluffy brown hairs and all. “I’m buying this for you.” Nayeon slightly pouted, “But I already have one Kookeu. Do I need two?” Tzuyu nodded, “Then I’m buying this for me because I love your cute dog so much.”

“Do you think he’s cuter than me?” Nayeon asked. Tzuyu thought hard, “I don’t know. Act cute for me.” Nayeon aggressively pulled out her aegyo to impress Tzuyu in the middle of the store. “I think it’s a tie,” Tzuyu declared once Nayeon was done. “Then you should get a plushie of me too since we’re equally cute,” Nayeon said and Tzuyu wholeheartedly agreed.

Walking out of the store and still holding hands, Tzuyu wanted to place a kiss on Nayeon’s cheek, but Mina and Dahyun’s words repeated in her mind so she didn’t. Nayeon quickly dropped Tzuyu’s hands as they stood on the sidewalk facing another couple.

“Hi Nayeon, how have you been?” All Nayeon could do was nod in front of her ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend. “Who’s this?” He pointed with his index finger while still holding hands with the girl standing next to him. Tzuyu waited for Nayeon to say anything, but she didn’t. “I’m Tzuyu. And I’m guessing you’re the ex?” It was the ex’s turn to silently nod, “What are you seeing girls now,” he laughed out. Nayeon shook her head as she felt her heart breaking for the millionth time because of the man in front of her, but not for the same reason.

“Hey, that looks like Kookeu. I miss that little dude. Maybe I should have asked for partial custody of him, at least if Sana here wasn’t allergic.” Everyone seemed to feel awkward except the man leading the conversation that wasn’t a conversation. Nayeon was breaking down on the sidewalk piece by piece and instinctively her hand reached out for Tzuyu’s.

Tzuyu gave a strong squeeze to Nayeon’s hand and pushed past the couple, “Well, this was… have a good rest of your day.” Nayeon felt like she could finally breathe once they had walked away and she leaned her head on Tzuyu’s shoulder for a much-needed break. “You smell good,” Nayeon said as she tried to leave kisses near Tzuyu’s neck. In any other circumstance, Tzuyu would have loved this affection, but she assumed the warm drops she softly felt on her neck were from tears. Tzuyu moved away from Nayeon’s kisses and said she wanted to walk Nayeon home. Nayeon told Tzuyu her address as they walked in near silence until they got to their destination.

Tzuyu tried to let Nayeon go at the steps of her building, but she was still hanging on tightly to Tzuyu’s hand, “Okay, I’ll walk you up, yes?” Nayeon nodded with a pout and they headed up the elevator together. _Why is she so cute when she’s not trying?_

Tzuyu lightly placed Nayeon on her couch and told her to lay down to get some rest. Nayeon listened silently and closed her eyes. Tzuyu took Kookeu on a short walk around the block before turning the lights off, leaving Nayeon alone in her apartment.

An entire week of Tzuyu texting and calling Nayeon went by and nothing. She thought they had a good date together even with the interruption from her ex, but she guessed not.

Nayeon had been so confused about everything that she turned her phone off and didn’t want to deal with it. Seeing her ex-boyfriend reminded her of a different love that she felt. She thought she cared about Tzuyu, but possibly only in the friendship sense. Momo had heard her crying again throughout the night and invited her over every evening to keep her company. They talked about Nayeon’s ex and even the crush she had on Tzuyu.

“I just don’t think I’m gay,” Nayeon told her. “I mean, you don’t have to be gay. Didn’t you say you wanted to kiss her?” Momo responded. Nayeon nodded sadly. “And you felt safe in her arms?” Momo asked. Nayeon nodded again. “I think you should talk to her again. At least if she’s willing to talk to you since you’ve been ignoring her.” Her neighbor and her friends all told her the same thing, but she still decided to avoid her phone and sulk instead.

Kookeu had been getting better over the past days. Nayeon was able to take him on longer walks than normal, and they even took a break at the dog park for a couple of minutes without any troubles. _Maybe the medicine is actually working_ , Nayeon thought. After a short night walk, Kookeu burst through the front door to drink water and eat some food. His breathing became irregular and labored as Nayeon watched him. She hoped that it didn’t mean anything, but the dog cried throughout the night as his breathing became worse.

Nayeon didn’t get any sleep as she tried to soothingly pet him and keep his breathing calm. He curled his tiny body into his owner’s lap and Nayeon felt upset that there was nothing she could do for hours until the vet’s office opened. With her eyes droopy and her voice rough, Nayeon called the emergency vet and couldn’t even react when Mina picked up the line.

She sniffled and told Mina that she would probably need another emergency appointment. “What’s going on, Nayeon?” Nayeon stroked her dog’s back, “He’s having trouble breathing. Please tell me there’s time today for an appointment.” Mina told her to immediately bring him in and they would figure out what was wrong. Nayeon carefully brought her dog in her arms to the office.

After Tzuyu checked him, she told Nayeon that he would need surgery for his trachea, so he could breathe better. Nayeon nodded slowly as she held back tears. “You’ll take care of him, right?” Tzuyu nodded. She wouldn’t be performing the surgery, but she had referred Kookeu to an amazing vet surgeon. Tzuyu tried to fight the urge to talk to Nayeon about their date, but she couldn’t. “Nayeon, can we talk about our date? You’ve kind of been avoiding me for a while now.” Nayeon shook her head, “The date was fun, Tzuyu, but I’m not gay. I’m not bi or queer or pan. I’m straight and I don’t like you in that way.” _Well, that’s a massive lie. My heart is hurting because of Kookeu only,_ Nayeon urged her mind. Tzuyu nodded as she watched a tear streak run down Nayeon’s face. “Yeah, I understand. I’m sorry. We’ll take care of Kookeu.” Nayeon clenched her fist and her teeth as Tzuyu told her they would keep her dog overnight and she could come back the next day.

Nayeon called in sick to her job and called her friends to see if they were busy. They were, unfortunately. She softly knocked on Momo’s door and finally broke down as Momo opened it. Nayeon’s brain was swirling with nothing and everything as she cried in Momo’s hold. _Why am I hurting myself? I could have told Tzuyu the truth. And she told me they would take care of Kookeu. But why do I feel so awful?_

Momo didn’t say any more advice as she softly stroked Nayeon’s hair in a caring manner until Nayeon’s eyes drifted closed.

Momo made herself a cold drink and watched the person on her couch who looked defeated and small. _She cares for Tzuyu and all I can do is watch on the sideline and be there when she falls,_ Momo drank from her glass, _Nayeon, you’ll never know how much I love you, will you?_

Momo sighed and went to her bedroom as Nayeon napped on her couch.

Tzuyu couldn’t focus on work the whole day without knowing how Kookeu was doing or without knowing how Nayeon was. She made numerous mistakes when doing checkups and messed up paperwork that she had to refill out. She let out a tired sigh as Mina suggested she take an early break. Tzuyu listened, but instead of getting rest she talked to the nurses in the pet operating room to ask how the surgery was going. They said it was going well so far, but they wouldn’t tell her more than that.

Tzuyu tiredly wanted to wipe her eyes as her shift was coming to an end. She walked to the operating room, but noted nurses rushing in and out of the room with concern on their faces. She stopped one of them as they rushed out, “What’s going on?” The nurse stopped, “The dog stopped breathing. His heart rate dropped and we’re trying everything we can right now.”

Tzuyu nodded as she slumped herself on the ground next to the operating room waiting for news. She held her head in her hands hoping for the best. 20 minutes passed by and the veterinary surgeon came through the door to tell Tzuyu that Kookeu didn’t make it. Tzuyu didn’t know how to react, but her first thoughts were on Nayeon. She tried calling her and of course she got no answer.

She drove to Nayeon’s house and tried to work out what she was going to say. She knocked on Nayeon’s door and was kind of surprised that she answered. “You’re home?” Nayeon slowly nodded. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days and her eyes were puffy from crying. “I took off work today. I was just having a shower before I went back to my neighbor’s apartment.”

“Can we talk?” Tzuyu asked. Nayeon sighed, “If this is about -” Tzuyu aggressively shook her head and tried holding back her tears, but she felt the warmness developing in her throat that she despised, “It’s not. I just need to talk to you.” Nayeon let her in and Tzuyu paced around the room.

“The surgery with Kookeu. It didn’t go as planned.” Nayeon sat on her couch and looked at Tzuyu waiting for her to explain. Tzuyu slowed down her speech as she chose her words carefully, “He stopped breathing on the operating table. They couldn’t resuscitate him, and they tried everything.” Nayeon broke down for the hundredth time that week as Tzuyu went over to comfort her. Nayeon pushed her off at first, but in the end stopped resisting the warm hug around her. “You said you would take care of him. You said he would be okay! You lied! YOU LIED!” Nayeon screamed through her sobs. _I lied_ , Nayeon thought. Tzuyu rocked Nayeon slowly back and forth trying her best to relax her. Nayeon noted how good it felt to be in Tzuyu’s hold. Nothing could compare to it. Not her ex-boyfriend, not Momo. Just Tzuyu trying her best. That fact just made Nayeon sob harder as she cuddled her head into Tzuyu’s torso and placed her feet on her couch.

After minutes of tears falling out of her eyes in streams, Nayeon hoisted herself up to look Tzuyu in the eye. “You did all you could, right?” Tzuyu nodded as sincerely as she could before Nayeon’s lips were on hers. Tzuyu tried backing away but Nayeon held her head in place as she intensified the kiss. Tears streamed both their cheeks, but they didn’t know who was crying anymore or why. Tzuyu pulled back as much as she could and asked a question against Nayeon’s lips, “Are you sure about this… I don’t think kissing is the best when you’re so upset.”

“Leave,” Nayeon said against Tzuyu’s lips. Tzuyu moved back and looked into Nayeon’s eyes, “That’s not what I meant. I can stay if you need me, but I think-”

“I said LEAVE!” Nayeon pushed Tzuyu away and walked off to her bedroom. Confused, lost, sad, wanting to turn back time were just the few emotions Nayeon was feeling. Tzuyu sent her a text message as she walked out the door. _I’m sorry._

Nayeon didn’t move for days. She only left her room to get food and even that was rare. She had no reason to leave. Her dog wasn’t there to need walks or need food or need water. She had called into work and told them about the situation, so they gave her a few days off. Her dog was gone. Her crush that she liked, she had treated like shit and she didn’t think she deserved the care that Tzuyu gave her.

When she finally had to head into work, she knew she still looked rough. She had tried everything to look as presentable as possible but her world without her dog felt suffocating and stifling. She had stopped going to Momo’s house. Stopped texting and calling her friends. Nothing in the world felt right now that she didn’t wake up and go to sleep next to Kookeu. When she finally opened her door after days of staying in her apartment, she found the plush that resembled Kookeu on her doorstep with a note that read _I’m sorry_. She knew that it came from Tzuyu as she gently picked it up and put the plush on her couch.

Tzuyu didn’t know how to feel anymore. The girl she liked was going through a hard time and there was nothing she could do. She kept texting Nayeon good morning and good night, but she never got any replies.

Dahyun would briefly visit Tzuyu and Mina during her lunches every day, but she would always ask to see Tzuyu to try to cheer her up. The first days after Kookeu was gone, Dahyun couldn’t even get a smile out of Tzuyu, but slowly she started to chuckle at her friend’s jokes and the chuckles turned back into laughs. Dahyun sighed in relief when she first heard the notes of Tzuyu’s short laughs.

Nayeon was still avoiding her friends, but she occasionally sent a short message to try to convince them she was doing okay. Jihyo knocked on the door one Friday night with her taller girlfriend attached to her arm and their short friend behind them. They invited Momo over as they all cuddled together in a huddle to watch sad movies and cry.

They talked about Tzuyu and how Nayeon was dealing with everything and Nayeon told the truth that she wasn’t dealing with it at all. She had pushed her love life to the side and chose to ignore it.

“Did you still want to date-” Jihyo began asking, but Nayeon interrupted her by asking for popcorn. They all understood and didn’t push the topic harder. The truth was Nayeon didn’t know what she wanted. She had dreams about holding hands with Tzuyu, and when she was awake, she always wondered what Tzuyu was doing with her time. She wondered if Tzuyu still thought about her or if she had moved on already like her ex had.

Momo stopped her in the halls days later and asked her how she still felt about Tzuyu, and Nayeon was actually ready to tell the truth to her neighbor. With a heavy heart, Momo told her to go for it. “The worst that could happen would be Tzuyu saying no, right?”

Nayeon thought about it for minutes, hours, days, and she knew she couldn’t stop herself thinking about Tzuyu. She knew that later the “what-ifs” would eat her alive.

Nayeon started to plan what she would say but it didn’t make anything easier. When she had enough courage and she was sure she was ready, she woke up early and walked to the veterinary clinic. The walk felt foreign without her dog, but she tried to push those thoughts to the side.

She walked into the office with a smile on her face as her eyes met Mina’s and she took a deep breath. Mina greeted her politely as Nayeon asked to see Tzuyu. Mina nodded and walked to the back. After 30 minutes of impatiently waiting, Nayeon stood staring at the taller girl that she wanted to take on a date. She grabbed one of Tzuyu’s hands and stared deeply into her eyes, “I have a lot to thank you for and more I should probably apologize about, but if I asked to take you on another date, what would you say?”

Tzuyu smiled with her dimple showing as Nayeon anticipated an answer. “I would say yes. But I think we should take things extremely slow considering…”

Nayeon gave two strong nods, “Well, I would like to take you on a date again. And I want you to keep sending good morning and good night texts. And I want us to keep talking on the phone all night.” Tzuyu smiled even harder if that was even possible before letting a few chuckles spill out.

“Can I kiss you like this is our first kiss?” Tzuyu slowly asked. Nayeon rolled her eyes and pulled Tzuyu down to her lips. “You’re gonna have to stop asking. If you want to kiss me, then kiss me.” Tzuyu leaned down again and listened to the woman she hadn’t stopped thinking about since she came into the vet office all those months ago.


End file.
